Using our provisions wisely

We live comfortably. We aren’t exactly keeping up with the socially elite in our community, but we get by. Growing up poor, I have a small nagging voice deep inside my psyche that says, “You know all this could fall apart in an instant if something devastating happened to this country.” I don’t think I am alone. I hear and read others express those same words. Some are coming from a doomsday prediction that the rapture is upon us. Others see the turbulent political and financial climate about us. and worry about our national well-being. I recently came across a financial analyst who falls into this last category. The dire predictions were softened somewhat by the fact he was selling a book and wanted to start an investment team.

But he got me to thinking. Were we being a good steward with our income? Were we prepared in case of a worse-case scenario? My faith teachings have been to not worry about what will happen tomorrow, but to be prepared today. A little wonky, put that way, but you get the idea. So I did an inventory. Spiritually, I’m in a good place. Financially, we have our big investments of home, automobiles, etc. paid for. We could shut down all the extras of phone, cable, even insurances at a moment’s notice if need be. What’s left? Electricity. I could open all the windows and burn a candle at night, but my husband must have electricity to run his medical equipment and air conditioning to keep cool. Okay, so electricity keeps us from being self-sufficient (apart from our creator).

So I started my research, looking up the different kinds of sustainable energy. Wind energy seemed the most viable source as we live on a hilltop where the breeze is almost always blowing. I literally despise those tall, ugly towers dotting the landscape in many counties. Could there be a moderately priced wind turbine that would not be so obtrusive? The prices on the internet seemed a little low. I couldn’t tell how much amps or watts would be needed for our house, and how much machine we would need. I visited with my neighbor, an electrician. He said he had been considering wind power for years. He had thought about building one from scratch. We both knew we might be able to design one on paper but we would not be able to totally build one ourselves. He is 82, and I’ve had open-hear surgery this past year. We decided to think more on the subject at a later time. I considered talking to our local power company engineers.

Would getting a wind tower hush that voice deep within? I know I would feel more prepared. The title of this article is “using our provisions wisely.” I guess it is a matter of consciousnesses about what we do with our disposable income each month, whether we continue to live comfortably or do we help others less fortunate. We’ll probably have to answer to that some day.